A St. Mary’s County commissioner warned that the federal government shutdown, then in its 28th day, and a scheduled Nov. 1 lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits could disrupt school meals for students who receive free and reduced-price lunches.

The commissioner said the expiration of SNAP benefits on Nov. 1 ‘‘has a profound impact on our school system with, meals for kids for who get free and reduced lunches.’’ He urged state lawmakers to coordinate with colleagues in neighboring states and pressed federal leaders to reach an agreement.

"We're at day 28 of this fed shut shutdown," the commissioner said, describing the ongoing impasse in Washington. He criticized national leaders for what he described as a failure of leadership and singled out a recent proposal by Senate leadership to add funds to a spending package. "Get just get to work. It's not that hard. Sit down in a room and get to work," he said.

The commissioner specifically called on state senators to work with Virginia's senators, saying "there's four votes right there" that could help resolve the impasse. He also mentioned a written proposal from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that he said had been passed earlier and was subsequently amended with additional spending requests.

The remarks were given as part of the commissioner’s opening comments to the county meeting; there was no formal motion or vote recorded in the transcript on the issue. The commissioner framed his request as an appeal for lawmakers to prioritize constituents’ needs over political considerations.

Other items noted in the opening remarks included recognition of longtime volunteer Sarah Fitzgerald and the retirement of corrections employee Bonnie Payne, plus reminders about Veterans Day on Nov. 11 and the Marine Corps birthday on Nov. 10.

Because the transcript records statements and appeals rather than formal county actions, no county-level policy change or directive is recorded in the meeting text. The commissioner’s comments document local concern about the potential immediate effects of a lapse in SNAP benefits on student meal programs and call for legislative action at the state and federal levels.